Daily Chronicle 2025 Player of the Year

Davon Grant, sr., WR, DeKalb

All-area first team offense

Cole Latimer, sr., QB, DeKalb

The NIU commit for both baseball and football completed 57.7% of his passes for 1,665 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for six touchdowns and was named to the all-conference team in the Southwest Valley.

Jalen Carter, sr., QB, Kaneland

The dual threat and NIU commit completed 58.4% of his passes for 1,544 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran 95 times for 841 yards and 15 touchdowns in earning first-team honors in the Interstate 8. It was his first year with the Knights after playing for St. Francis and Aurora Christian, helping them reach the second round of the playoffs.

Carter Grabowski, sr., RB, Kaneland

Jalen Carter’s arrival certainly opened things up for Grabowski, who made a gigantic leap in his final year with the Knights. He carried the ball 174 times for 1,232 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning a spot on the I-8 all-conference team and all-state honorable mention in 5A.

Blake Ides, jr., WR, Genoa-Kingston

The Cogs broke away from their traditional Wing-T offense this season, opting for a Gun-T. While still run-forward, it still offered more of a passing attack. Ides was a big beneficiary of this, with one of the biggest seasons for a receiver in school history with 30 catches, 558 yards and six touchdowns. He was an all-conference selection in the Big Northern.

Brady Brown, sr., WR, Kaneland

Brown was the top target for Carter this year, making 47 catches for 815 yards with seven touchdowns. He was a first-team selection in the Interstate 8.

Ben Anderson, jr., WR/DB, Sycamore

The junior made a splash on both sides of the ball, but was a big threat on offense for the Spartans. He made 31 catches for 500 yards and six touchdowns. He was also third on the team with 48 tackles and had a pair of interceptions.

Owen DePauw, sr., OL/DL, Sycamore

The Spartans used a running back by committee, with five players rushing the ball at least 48 times this year. The team averaged 5.1 yards per carry and more than 200 yards per game, and DePauw was a huge part of that attack. He also played two ways, making 28 tackles, three for a loss.

Will Rosenow, jr., OL, Sycamore

Rosenow was also a key blocker on the offensive line for the Spartans. It wasn’t just rushing, though. With a first-year starting quarterback, Sycamore allowed just five sacks this year, and Rosenow was one of the most effective linemen the Spartans had, seeing some time on defense but mainly playing on offense.

Mason McPeek, sr., OL/DL, Genoa-Kingston

The Cogs averaged 8.6 yards per carry and McPeek was the only senior lineman. He also had a fumble recovery and 24 tackles this year, four for a loss. He was an all-conference first-team pick.

Jack Parker, sr., OL/OLB, Kaneland

The three-year starter played both ways for the Knights and had an impact on both sides. Not only a key blocker on an offense that surpassed 2,500 rushing yards, he made 53 tackles. He also had three sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, five hurried passes, two pass breakups and a blocked kick.

Brayden Ryder, sr., OL, DeKalb

With injuries a factor on the line, Ryder emerged as the most consistent lineman. He had 34 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack. Coach Derek Schneeman called him an intense competitor and one of the Barbs’ hardest workers.

First team defense

Vinnie Pitstick, sr., DE, Sycamore

Pitstick didn’t just finish with 22 tackles but stuffed the stat line for the Spartans. He had three tackles for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Jake Buckley, sr., OL/DL, Kaneland

The all-state first-team pick in 5A not only played two ways for the Knights, he was a tackling machine from his line spot on defense in earning an all-conference spot. He had 44 tackles, 10 for a loss, a sack and seven hurried passes.

Owen Sisson, sr., OL/DL, DeKalb

The Minnesota State commit’s season was hampered by injuries, missing four games. He still managed 18 tackles, three sacks and five tackles for a loss, with one of those TFLs resulting in a safety.

Cody Cravatta, sr., QB/OLB, Genoa-Kingston

Cravatta had a solid year at linebacker – 41 tackles, five for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, an interception, a deflection and a defensive touchdown – but he was also under center as the Cogs started throwing the ball around more this year. He completed 55.6% of his passes for 1,057 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing 50 times for 454 yards and nine scores.

Cooper Bode, sr., RB/LB, Sycamore

Bode was one of just a handful of players to play in all 10 games for the Spartans, going both ways. He focused more on defense as the year went on, finishing with 42 tackles, five for a loss. He also had an interception and recovered a fumble.

Owen Zaccard, sr., RB/LB, Genoa-Kingston

Even with the Gun-T, the Cogs still ran twice as much as they threw this year, and a lot of that was Zaccard. He had 113 carries for 718 yards and 11 touchdowns as the workhorse back, then would turn around and play in the middle of the defense. He was the second-leading tackle, finishing with 81, six for a loss.

Rogan O’Neil, jr., LB, Kaneland

O’Neil was second on the Knights with both 78 tackles and 12 TFLs. He had two sacks, five hurried passes, a pass breakup and led the team in tackles four times.

Kevin Lee, sr., RB/LB, Sycamore

Lee missed a couple of games and needed a couple more to get back into form. After his injury, he was used less at running back and more at linebacker. He led the team with 51 tackles, five for a loss. He also forced a fumble. He led the team with 119 carries, tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns and was second with 523 rushing yards.

Anthony Gum, sr., S, Genoa-Kingston

All Gum did was make tackles for the Cogs. He led the way with 97 and was a first-team selection in the Big Northern Conference. Well, he also caught and carried the ball as well. He had nine catches for 105 yards, and ran 29 times for 319 yards and four scores.

Brady Alstott, sr., DB, Kaneland

Alstott was a defensive savant for the Knights, leading the way with 95 tackles, six for a loss, and a sack. He intercepted two passes and broke up seven. He recovered a fumble and led the team in tackles in five of their 11 games.

Jaiden Lee, jr., FS, Genoa-Kingston

The Swiss Army knife had 50 tackles, one for a loss, one interception, and three pass breakups. But he showed his versatility on offense, where he competed with Cravatta for the starting quarterback job in camp. He still earned a spot on the offense as well, rushing 36 times for 462 yards and six scores, and making 17 catches for 155 yards and two scores.

Second team

Aiden Cooper, sr., QB/DB, Hiawatha

Jayden Coleman, so., DL, DeKalb

Jackson Little, jr., RB/OLB, Kaneland

Tim Pruitt, so., RB, Hiawatha

Liam Vasilios, jr., RB, Sycamore

Derrion Straughter, sr., WR, DeKalb

Travis Moore, sr., LB/RB, DeKalb

Patrick Davis, sr., LB, DeKalb

Isaac Ramangkoun, sr., CB, Hiawatha

Josiah Mitchell, sr., WR/DB, Sycamore

Honorable mention

Griffin Larsen, sr., QB, Sycamore; Jack Rosenow, sr., WR, DeKalb; Logan Schmittle, sr., LB, DeKalb